Students' Text Appeal To Thief Causes Change of Heart

By contacting their stolen mobile phone, a group of Auckland students have sweet-talked their possessions back from a remorseful robber.

In Christchurch for a friend's birthday party, Aucklanders Kate, Julia, Briar and Olivia left their possessions in a locked car while they visited the New Brighton Pier on their way back to Dunedin on Sunday, March 15.

Arts and law student Ms McDonald said the group returned from the pier to find the locks of her Toyota Corolla picked.

And while the bulk of their luggage was still there, four handbags containing their wallets, passports, IDs, bank cards and Ms Kerr's mobile phone had been taken.

"So we started driving back to Dunedin and thought, 'They have Julia's phone, why don't we try and contact them and see if anything comes out of it'."

Ms McDonald managed to wrangle a deal with him to drop the gear at Spencer Beach Holiday Park - about 16km north of where it was taken from - for the women to collect.

*Last names have been removed for privacy

Soure: NZHerald